Qatar rejects Iran claim that three fighter pilots were captured alive

Qatar has rejected Iran’s claim that three Iranian fighter pilots survived the downing of their aircraft and were captured by Qatari forces during attacks on the country in March, describing the allegation as misleading.

Majed Al Ansari, adviser to Qatar’s prime minister and spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, said Doha “categorically” rejected the claim and questioned why Iran had raised the issue now, as diplomatic efforts continue to reduce regional tensions.

Al Ansari said Qatari authorities established contact with the Iranian pilots after the aircraft entered Qatar’s airspace and officials confirmed the trajectory of the incoming attack.

He said Qatari forces followed established rules of engagement and unsuccessfully attempted to communicate with the pilots before taking defensive measures to protect Qatari territory in accordance with international law.

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According to Al Ansari, authorities had already addressed the incident through official channels at the time.

Qatari search-and-rescue teams later searched for the pilots. They recovered the remains of one pilot and coordinated with Iranian authorities to hand them over in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Doha also invited an Iranian team in April to inspect the search-and-rescue operation and receive a briefing, but Al Ansari said Tehran had not responded to the invitation.

The Iranian allegation came from Mohammad Bagherzadeh, head of the Missing Persons Search Committee of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff.

In a letter to International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric, Bagherzadeh claimed that three pilots had been captured alive after two Iranian Su-24 fighter jets were shot down during attacks on a military base in Qatar on March 2.

Bagherzadeh said pilot Majid Kazemi had been killed, while Javad Salehi, Abdolmajid Dashtian and Omran Behrouzian were captured.

He accused Qatar of violating the pilots’ rights under the Geneva Conventions by allegedly preventing contact between them, their families and Iranian officials despite diplomatic efforts over several months.

Iran’s Missing Persons Search Committee urged the ICRC to establish whether the three pilots were being held in Qatar, provide information about their condition and assist in securing their release.

The dispute centres on an incident during Iran’s attacks on a Qatari military base amid a wider regional conflict. Tehran said two Su-24 fighter jets came under fire from air defences during the operation.

Qatar has maintained a different account, saying its forces responded defensively after the aircraft entered its airspace. Doha says subsequent search efforts recovered one pilot’s remains and that it has no evidence that the other alleged pilots were captured alive.